Truss wheel construction



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Dec. 26, 1933. l. H. ATHEY TRUSS WHEEL CONSTRUCTION 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 WWI' Filed Oct. l, 1928 Dec. 26, 1933. l, H. ATHEY TRUss WHEEL CONSTRUCTION Filed 0G13. l, 1928 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 Dec. 26, 1933. L HK. ATHEY 1,940,835

TRUS S WHEEL CONSTRUCTION @www A d I aacj/fy 16' 9 21 wrm @mM/M07, ff f 3.

Patented'Dec. 26, 1933 'muss WHEEL CONSTRUCTION Isaac H. Athey, Chicago, assignor to Athey Truss Wheel Co., Chicago, Ill., a corporation of Illinois Application October 1, 1928. Serial No. 309,415

12 Claims.

This invention relates to improvementsin vehicles and isparticularly concerned with the improvementsin the running gear of that type of vehicle in which the load supporting wheels run fi upon an endless track chain which passes around the wheels. .An object of the invention is to provide animproved running gear for a vehicle.

A further object is to provide a heavy duty running gear for a vehicle having an endless track chain upon which the wheels of the vehicle are supported, the Vportion Vof the endless track between thewheels being supported by trusses to form a tread surface for the wheel which is capable of being folded around a comparatively small wheel. Y f

A further object is to provide an endless track chain for supportingthe wheels of the vehicle in which trusses are provided having long truss arms 2Q to support the treadmembers between the wheels under a heavy load without undue-strain upon theftrusses. Y. y

Afurtherobject of the invention is tovprovide an endless track chain for supporting the wheels ,25T of the vehicle, the track chain. having trusses which support thel tread members of thetrack chain between the wheels of the vehicle and which are connected. by av plurality of endless chain mechanismsto provide a sturdy construc- `-3Q` tionwhichis capable of collapsing around a Wheel of small diameter.

A further Objectis to provide an endless track chain having tread members which are provided with alternatelyv long and short truss members,

; the long truss members being substantially .twice as long as the short truss members, thereby increasing the effectiveness of the trusses without appreciablyaecting thev collapsibility thereof as it passes around thewheel. l Other objects and advantages of the apparatus will appear as `.the description proceeds.

In the drawings, a y n Figli represents a side elevation ofa running gear embodyingthe invention, with parts broken away to show the truss arms collapsed aroundV the wheeel; s .Y

Fig. 2 is an enlarged inner plan view of a portion of anendless track; Fig. 3 is aside elevation of the portion of the chain shown `in Fig. 2, parts being broken away in section to show other parts;

.Eig.A 4'is an end elevation of one type4 of shoe used in the endless chain, With the-connecting links shown in, cross-section; and

Fig. k5 isanend elevation of another type of shoe which is adapted to adjoin and cooperate with the shoe shown in Fig. l to form an endless chain, the connecting links being shownin ,crosssection., v A

Referring to the drawings, in which the'same 60 reference characters indicate similar partsinthe several views, the invention is shown as being embodied in a vehicle comprising a load supporting axle 11, upon which a beam v12 is pivotally mounted. A shaft 13 is journaledfin eachjend 65 of the beam so that its ends project from eachV side thereof. -A load supporting wheel 14 is se- .cured to each of the Vprojecting ends of the shafts and comprises a plurality of shoes- "16 and 17. Shoes -16 comprise tread` members 1'8 which are provided at each end with a central bearing lugl 19 and a pair of side bearing lugs 21vin alignment therewith. Y Shoes 17 comprise` treadmembers 22 havingV bearing lugs 23 at each end thereof which lie` adjacentthe bearing members ofshoes .'16 and are hingedly interconnected by pintles 24 which pass through apertures kin the bearinglugs of adjacent shoes 16 and 17. f All shoes 16 each have at each side a ledge 25 which isintegral `with the treadzmember land is supported at its? ends Yby bearinglugs 2l. All shoes 17 each have a similar ledge 26 along each 85 side which is integral with theltread member of the shoe and is supported at its ends by brackets 27. Ledges 25 and126 form track surfacesupon" whichthe wheels 14 may roll, and the shoes are provided with lugs 2.8.Kupon their-inner-surfaces adjacent the ledges for the purpose of guidingthe wheels upon the track. f Extending inwardly from the tread -member 0f each shoe 16 is a pair of triangularshaped truss arms '31 which `have a central web 32rsurrounded 9.5

l by flanges 33. 'Flanges 33 rest upon bearinglugs 19 and converge toward the apex of thevtriangle.

This constructionv provides a strong and. sturdy arms is substantiallyv as long as the shoe, including the bearing lugs at the ends of the shoe.

. A tie bar 34 connects the truss arms 3,1.of the shoe. 16 to increase the strength fr the truss arms with regard tolateral stresses. The inner ends of truss arms 31 are provided with apertures 105y adapted to receive pivot `pins v35. f

Shoesl'l are provided with inwardly extending truss `arms 36 which are approximatelyk twice as long as .truss arms 31 of shoes. 16. Truss arms36 rest attheir bases upon bearingjlugs 23 and con- 110 shoein which` the baseof "the triangular truss An endless chain'15 passes around thev wheels 70 v With an aperture and adapted to s pin 39 and above the boss the a. nected by a Web 41. t the inner an aperture is provided for pivot pin 42.

Pins 39 each pivotally support apair of links 43 and a link 44, all of Which are 'provided' with slots 45. Links 43 as viewed in Sentend to the right and the slots 45 thereof are engaged by pivot pins carried by shoes 16. Links 44 ezatend tothe left'and their slots 45 engage pivot pins 35 of the shoes 16. The links 43 and 44 thus interconnect all of the shoes 16 and i7 and form an endless chain connection bet-Ween them.. The pivot pins 42 of shoes l7'each pivotally saporta pair of links 46` and a link 47. The links '45 oi each of the shoes 17 are pivotally interconnected by a pivot pin 48 with the link 47 of an adjacent shoe 17. l

Links v47 are each provided with a lug 5l and links 46 are each provided with a transverse lug 52. These lugs cooperate to prevent the links and 47`from formingastraight angle so that the truss arms of successive slices` i7 'always pivot toward each other and the links '45 and 4,7 Will never be on deadV center. Links 45 and 47 thus form a second endless chain interccnnec ig i., the long truss arms ci all ofthe shoes i7.

Vform a rigid supporting ,Wheels carried by the beam 12.

f As illustrated in Fig. l, the shoes l and i7 surface letyveen the The i and rigidity of this supporting surface is to a certain extent a function or the length or the truss While it is thereforedesirable to make the truss arms as-long a's'possible, thejlength oi the arms reduces the radius within'which the chain may collapse. In the apparatus just described, the

strengthv and rigidity of the chain is veryhigh and yet the chain is collapsible Within a comparatively short radius. e n

Considering that the vehicle shown in 1 is moving toward the left, the truss of a shoe 17 have justassumed their operative position and the wheel is moving'ontc the shoe lo to the leftthereof. The pivot pin`35 ci this shoe 16 engages the end oi the slot or" the link 44 and thus this shoe 16 has already become a portion of the rigid supporting surface.` When the iollowing'shoe 17 is moved to its operative or supporting'position, links 43'and 44 will become in effective and the entire trussing effect will be due to'links 46 and 47 and the long'truss ci shoe 17. Slots 45 or links 43 and 44 are made long enough that pivot pinsv 35 will engage the slots loosely afterv links 46 and 47 become eiective. l' This construction provides a'str heavy duty trackfor a vehicle Withoutv und y increasing the size ofthe tread members or of the wheels to be used therewith. y l Having described the nature andembodimen s of my invention, what desire 'to secure by United StatesLetters Patent isas i071 1. `A track chain for a Vehicleconr Y ng a plurality of tread members pivctally interconnected new . to form an endless chain, a truss member for each truss members each having a single bearing member at its inner end, and a link mechanism for interconnecting the bearings at the ends of the intervening truss members with the intermediate bearings of the alternate truss members.

2. A track chain for a vehicle comprising a plurality of Itread members interconnected to form anendless chain, a truss member extending inwardly from each tread member, a link mechanis-m interconnectingV alternate truss l members and a second link mechanism interconnecting all of kthe truss members. q

3.' A. track chain for a vehicle comprising a plumediatetlieir length, the links attached inter-v mediate the length of the trussv arms having slots at opposite ends, and means carried by the ine' truss arms engaging the slots in said links to? ring a second endless chain.

4. ./itra'cI chain for a vehicle comprising a plurality of tread members hingedly interconnected to form endless chain, alternately long and sho truss attached to saidtread members, a pair of links pivotally attached to the ends of each or the long truss arms-the links of each arm being pivotally connected to links 0I" adjacent long arms, a second pair of links pivotally attached to each of the long arms," said secondv `pair eflinksV having slots at their opposite ends,

-ralitycf tread members pivotally interconnected ico and'bearing pins carried by the short'tru'ss arms' Y' engagingthe slots inthe links of the adjacent long truss arms, said links and truss arms form,-

ing a truss tor maintaining the tread members Y rigidl under the load of the vvehicle -andallovving them to fold around a Wheel ofV comparatively small diameter. e 5. An endless track chain for a vehicle-*comprising alternate shoes of a differentV construction hingedly interconnected to form an 'endless chain, shoes of one type having longer truss arms tlfianshoesY of the other type, a link mechanism interconnecting the longer truss arms, pairs of links pivctally connected to the longer truss arms intermediate the length of s'aid'arms, saidlinks having longitudinal slots at their opposite ends, bearingpins carriedby the shorter truss'arms engaging thefslots of the links of the vlonger truss arms, said slots having such aV length that when the links connecting the longer truss arms are taut the bearing pins engage thel ends of the slots loosely. Y Y A 6. An endless supporting track chain for vehicles, including track shoes of alternate construction, onegform' of track slice provided with Y ilo iso

ing inwardly from each side of each end of said shoe, said arms converging toward each other and being secured together at their inner ends, the other type of shoe being provided with short truss members, means connecting the adjacent long truss members, and means connecting said short truss members with said long truss members intermediate their length to form a double support for said track shoes.-

8. An endless traction chain including a plurality of pivotally connected tread members each having an inwardly extending arm, and a truss chain to which the ends of the are connected, said truss chain including a plurality of pairs of links, a pair of links being positioned between adjacent means connecting the ends of adjacent pairs of linksto the arms, means connecting the or"r each and means formed on said links adantedto at all times hold the last mentioned connecting out of" alignment with the first mentioned connecting means.V i

9. An endless traction chain including a pluralityfof pivotally connected tread members each having an inwardly extending n, a truss chain to which the ends or" the arms are connected, said truss chain including a plurality oi having an inwardly extending arm, and a trussk chain to which the ends of the arms are conf to the arms,

nected, said truss chain Aincluding a plurality of pairs vof links, a pair, of links being positioned between adjacent arms, means connecting the ends of adjacent pairs of links to the arms, and rneans'connecting the links of each pair, one of l the links of each pair having a `laterally extend. ing projection engageable with the other link to at .all times hold the last mentioned connecting means out of alignment with the rst mentioned connecting means.

ll. A track chain for a Vehicle comprising a plurality of track shoes interconnected to formv an endless chain,v a truss member extending inwardly from eachtrack shoe, a linkage connecting alternate truss members in series, a second linkage connecting adjacent truss members in series, the effective lengths of the-linkage elements being correlated so that the first said linkage takes the strain between the truss members to which it is connected when the shoes carrying said truss members are in rigid load supporting position, relieving the second said linkage con-k necting said alternate truss members to the in-V termediate'truss members from strain.

'12. A track chain for a vehicle comprising a 100 plurality of track shoes interconnected to form endless chain, a truss member extending inwardly from each track shoe, a linkage connectg alternate truss members in series, asecond to an adjacent truss member, the effective lengths ci the linkage elements being correlated so that angular movement is permitted by the last linkage between the-truss members to which it is connected which is greater than half that permitted by the v'rst said `linkage between said alternate truss members.

' VISAAC H; ATHEY.

kage connecting each of said trussmembers 105 

